Optimus Prime - Alternators - Figure

Well, everyoneís been waiting with baited breath for this one. Thatís right, Figureguy is now going to review the new Alternators Optimus Prime. Right here, right now, please, hold your applause until after the show. I got mine from BBTS, but the figure has yet to be seen at retail. To give you a heads up, is the new Optimus a Super Leader, or a Super Dud? Iíll be the judge of that. Today, I will be reviewing the package, as well as the Optimus figure. Now, roll the tape.

Packaging:

Prime comes in the new bubble packaging as all the new Alts do. The only difference is his bubble is a bit bigger to cover the larger scale Alt truck. The artwork of Prime is very nice, and captures the toy perfectly. I am not a big fan of the bubbles, I have seen too many at retail with crushes and dents in them. It also creates a problem for displaying the box, if you do so. Taking the top of the bubble off to reach the figure rips away too much of the packaging, and then to have to open the bottom to un-tape the plastic strips holding the inner figure is a pain, quite frankly. The bottom closes fine, but the bubble never sits back on the box well, and cheapens the look. The bottom of the box has some nice pictures of Prime in robot and robot mode, a close up of the interior, and a close up of the head with quote. It should also be noted that on the box is a picture of the gun, but it is misassembled. The correct way to transform the gun is shown in the instruction book.

Toy:

Truck Mode:

The alt mode, as with all the Alt line, is exceptionally done. The truck is detailed accurately, from the body to the tires. The inside of the cab is very realistic, and there are nice touches like the molded grill, the dashboard, and a bed cover, which is molded on in black. The tail gate actually opens and closes, and the spoiler is a nice touch. The red body and black interior look fantastic. Great job on capturing the Ram accurately.

Transformation:

Honestly, this has to be one of the easiest Alts of all to transform. Very simple, straightforward, basically it amounts mostly to folding the truck in half. Everything folds well, nothing feels like you are going to break any of the parts while changing molds. I know on a lot of Alts, there have been problems with parts having to pop off to transform to robot mode, and parts feeling stuck to the point where you feel you are going to snap something off. Nothing like that here.

Robot Mode:

Everybody wanted a leader, and for those that donít have or count Masterpiece or 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, this is it. On the whole, I am very impressed with the figure. He is bulky, but not to the point of looking fat. He looks strong and powerful. From the arrows molded on the arms, to the vents on the legs, he is Optimus Prime reborn for the Alternator line. Very poseable, with articulation at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and feet.

The colors on the robot mode are well done. As we know, this was supposed to be released in the Binaltech line as Ginrai. The head has more of a Powermaster Ginrai look to it, than just old Optimus Prime. The head is longer, and the, well, vents on the side of the head capture the look more of Ginrai than the Masterpiece Optimus. The head is very detailed and well done.

The engine, like with most Alts, becomes Optimusí weapon. Itís more of a blaster than a pistol, larger, but nothing like Optimusí trademark rifle. It is a nice weapon, though, and fits well with the character. The weapon stores under the hood in engine form.

My one complaint, and to some it might be a big one, is the sheer volume of loose joints on him. The arms feel tight, but the head, hips, and knees are extremely loose. The head seems to flop a bit, and when trying to pose him, Prime would constantly slip the hips or knees, and while he is slightly top heavy, it is hard to find a decent pose that doesnít pull the robot forward, and therefore agitate the loose joints. I was able to pose mine with the chest vertical, not leaning forward or back at all, and the legs spaced out and turned outwards. He has been there for about an hour, and the head has held. I walked by the cabinets back and forth for about 3 minutes to see if the head, as well as the figure, would hold the pose. It did.

Overall, final thoughts, a very well done figure. This is a great addition to the Alt line, as well as finally giving us a proper leader. The truck looks spectacular, and the bot mode is perfectly in scale with the other Alts. The loose joints just might be on mine, or an assembly problem. If you can get past that, as I know a lot of you use nail polish remover and such to tighten joints, heís a great figure. Especially since the price point is the same as the smaller Alts, for $20 you canít go wrong.